Flight Model?

[Foxhound1 6]

Which flight model do you use when playing the game? I've been flying with Hard, but I read in an older thread that modders typically design new aircraft for use with the Normal flight model. I also read that all AI-controlled aircraft always use the Normal flight model, which presumably would give them an unfair advantage in any air combat maneuvers.

[Caesar 305]

I usually fly on Hard.  I also spend most of my time in the F-14, which feels more natural on Hard.  If memory serves, yes, some of the newer aircraft are more accurately represented on Normal, and the AI uses Normal as well.

[+Cliff7600 1,120]

Always flying hard mode.

 

And I'm lucky enough to edit the flight models that are designed in normal mode.

Otherwise I wouldn't fly them at all, which would be too bad.

[Foxhound1 6]

I have found that while flying an F-4 on Hard, some of the default loadouts the game assigns you are so heavy that it is impossible to take off before you run out of runway. Meanwhile, your wingmen, carrying identical loadouts, nimbly lift off without any problems.

 

This makes it seem to me that the game was designed for the Normal FM. Since I've been playing with the Hard FM, I typically solve this by removing the drop tanks, since I'm using "Normal" fuel usage and can typically do just fine without them. ;)